With Jackie Chan's The Myth and Andy Lau's Child's Dream both hitting China's screens right now, Sammie Cheung might have reason to be concerned about the box office prospects of her latest film, Everlasting Regret, especially since it came away from the Venice Film Festival earlier this month empty handed. 

The film's Hong Kong director, Stanley Kwan, took lead actress Sammie and actor Huang Jue to the premiere in Beijing on Saturday afternoon. 　　

Everlasting Regret is based on the renowned Chinese novelist, Wang Anyi's multi-award winning novel of the same name, but unfortunately that fact did not bring the film any luck in Venice. 　

Everlasting Regret was the only Chinese film in competition at the 62nd Venice Film Festival this year. 　　

The film follows a legendary Shanghai beauty of the 1940s, as she moves from her glamor days to a simpler life, all the time trying to retain the dignity of her past while weathering the constant betrayals of her men. 　　

By contrast to the Venice festival jury, who may not fully have understood the story's background, Chinese audiences are expected to appreciate this Shanghai story and the nature of the historical period in which it is set, when the movie opens across the country. 　

(CRI September 26, 2005)